The Wizard, the Witch, and the Werewolf
by dracostra
Summary: A little fanfic about Lily and Remus. An unlikely pairing, but I got the idea from something Remus said in movie 3. NEWLY REDONE! Read for updates!
1. Chapter 1: Lily

Ok, I'm only going to write this once, as I just reloaded all ten chapters in the past 15 minutes:

I OWN NOTHING!!! All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The only thing I can lay claim to is my imagination.

A/N: Up until an hour ago, the first five chapters were all rolled into one. PLEASE RE-READ. I will be expanding the first few chapters (or at least attempting to) within the next few days or so.

**Chapter 1: Lily's Return**

Lily stood up and wiped the dust and dirt from her black robes. As she looked around, she realized that something had gone wrong. She'd meant to Apparate to the back yard, but it looked like she'd been thrown off course into the front yard instead. Before she could think of what could possibly have happened, or what to do, a voice shouted from behind her.

"Hey lady, move it or lose it!"

As Lily turned around, she was shocked to see that her house was no longer behind her. Instead, there was a completely different house in its place, and she was standing in the middle of the driveway. Without a word to the poor man trying to drive himself to work, Lily walked away, puzzled as to where she was. Her heart began to race as memories of what had just happened began to come back to her. When she'd heard Voldemort cast Avada Kedavra, she had thrown herself in front of Harry and Apparated as quickly as she could. Now that she realized that Harry wasn't with her, she worried that something terrible had happened. She ran to the nearest mailbox and read the address she found. According to the address, she was still in Godric's Hollow. She tried to Apparate home, but whenever she opened her eyes, she found herself standing in the same driveway she'd found herself in just a few minutes ago. Now she knew something was wrong. She frantically ran up and down the street, looking in vain for her house, but it wasn't there. She had no idea what had happened, but she knew one person who might have a pretty good idea. With a soft 'pop' that made people in the neighborhood glance around in wonder, Lily Apparated to the Burrow.


	2. Chapter 2: Cry for Help

**Chapter 2: Cry For Help**

When Lily Potter suddenly appeared in her front yard, Molly Weasley thought she had gone insane. When she heard knocking on her front door, she _knew_ she had gone insane.

"Molly, please be here! I need to figure out what's going on! I need to find Harry and James! Molly, they could be killed!" Lily broke into tears.

Molly herself was in tears by now. The Lily Potter she had known had died over fifteen years ago. How could she possibly be knocking on Molly's door if she was dead? Still, wouldn't Molly herself have been desperate for help if she had been under attack? Despite the fact that her heart was telling her that Lily Potter had somehow reappeared, her head was telling her something different. Molly decided to listen to her head. She wiped the tears from her face and got to her feet. Gripping her wand resolutely in her right hand, Molly marched to the door. As she opened it, she readied herself for what she was about to see. By the time she was face to face with Lily, Molly was sure of what she had to do.

"Lily Potter has been dead for sixteen years!" she almost screamed. "So has James! If you think for one second that I'm going to tell you where Harry is, you've got another thing coming!"

Before Lily could react, Molly flicked her wand and conjured ropes out of thin air. Without warning, they twisted themselves tightly around Lily's body, binding her arms to her sides, and causing her wand to fall from her pocket.


	3. Chapter 3: A Friend in Need

**Chapter 3: A Friend in Need**

As Molly flicked her wand and levitated Lily into the sitting room, Lily lost control.

"What's going on here? Who are you? Where is my son? Where is my husband?"

Molly ignored every word.

Lily grew exasperated, and went limp in the ropes that bound her, falling into a deep sleep.

When she awoke, Lily was still in Molly Weasley's living room; but now, Remus Lupin was sitting in a chair across from her, pointing a wand at her chest.

"Remus?" she questioned. "Is that you? Remus, what's happened? Where are Harry and James?"

Remus didn't know what to believe. All of his life, he had deeply cared for Lily Potter. When she had died, his heart had been shattered. "If you really are Lily Potter, then you will have no recollection of the past sixteen years. If you will be silent, I will explain things to you. But when I'm finished, you must explain to me how you got here. Deal?"

Lily nodded.

"This is the year two thousand six. In nineteen ninety, Lily and James Potter received a surprise visit from the Dark Lord himself. It is believed that he killed Lily first, because no trace of her body was ever found. After that, he killed James. When he tried to kill Harry, something extraordinary happened; the killing curse rebounded upon the Dark Lord and almost killed him."

As Lupin paused, Lily interjected. "Remus, you would have me understand that I'm in the year two thousand six?"

"Lily, believe it or not, you have been dead for sixteen years. That is why you are in the position you are in."

Lily felt like she had just been hit in the stomach. "Remus, I swear, I don't know what you're talking about. I just came from home. James was alive, and so was Harry. Voldemort was trying to kill us all."

Lupin took a breath. "Lily, that happened sixteen years ago."

"But how? I remember running to grab Harry, Apparating, and then seeing a flash of green light."

Lupin wasn't sure what to say.

"Remus, there has to be an explanation. Something happened. If I'm supposed to be dead, then why am I sitting here?"

Lupin lowered his head.

"Ask Dumbledore. He knows everything about magical miracles. He should be able to come up with a theory."

When Lupin raised his head, Lily knew something was wrong.

"Remus, you've left something out."

"Lily, Dumbledore's dead."

Lily felt as if she had just been thrown into an alternate universe."Just what exactly has been going on for the past sixteen years?" she asked slowly.

After regaining control of himself, Lupin began to tell Lily everything that had happened since her 'death.'

He started with the discovery of the house in Godric's Hollow, and told of how Dumbledore had told Hagrid to bring Harry to the Dursleys. When Lily asked why Harry hadn't been given to Sirius, Lupin told her about Sirius as well. The whole story took hours to tell. Every so often, Molly would come in with a drink for Remus and a dark look for Lily. Finally, Molly realized that Lily was indeed who she seemed to be. Though she didn't say so to Lily, her attitude changed, and she began to bring in two teacups instead of one.

When Lupin finally reached the point of telling Lily how Dumbledore had died, Molly decided that it was time to set Lily free. Lily's mind was reeling with all the information she had absorbed. Her body was exhausted from being tied up, and her head was pounding. She was feeling so many emotions at once that she wasn't sure what to feel. There was one thing she knew that she wanted more than anything though, and before she passed out on the Weasleys' living room sofa, she made it clear to Remus and Molly.

"I want to see my son." she said. "If he is still alive, I want to see him with my own two eyes."


	4. Chapter 4: Confessions

**Chapter 4: Confessions**

When they were convinced that Lily was asleep, Remus and Molly retreated to the kitchen.

"Remus, what are we going to tell everyone? The children are all out with Harry trying to track down the Dark Lord. Arthur's busier than ever at the Ministry. What are we going to do!" Molly said exasperatedly.

Remus sat down with a sigh. "Molly, Lily hasn't seen her son since he was a year old. When she sees him again, she's going to be shocked."

"Remus, did you hear me? If they see each other, they'll _both_ be shocked! Anyone who sees her will be shocked! We're in the middle of a war! The first thing I thought when I saw her was that she was a servant of the Dark Lord! What do you think Harry's going to think?"

Lupin took a deep breath and raised his head. Molly noticed the stress lines in the corners of his eyes. "Molly, I can't think anything right now. All I know is that Lily Potter wants to see her son, and I'm going to do everything I can to make that happen."

Molly sighed. "You still love her, don't you Remus?"

Lupin put his head in his hands.

"What about Tonks?" Molly asked quietly.

Lupin didn't move. Molly put her hand on his shoulder. "Send an owl to Harry."

With that, she went to bed.

Remus stayed awake through the night. He was glad that Tonks was off on a mission with Mad Eye. Back in June, he had finally admitted that he had feelings for her, but how could he possibly explain that he'd always had feelings for Lily? Eventually, he picked up some parchment and a quill, and went into the living room. Very slowly, as he watched Lily's soft breathing, he began to write to Harry.

Harry,Something rather interesting hascome to pass. Nothing terrible,but something very wonderful andmysterious. I can't tell you exactlywhat right now, because I'm afraidyou'd fall off your broomstick inyour hurry to get here. Meet me atthe Burrow ASAP.

Remus Lupin

When he was finished writing, Lupin lifted his head and stared at Lily. After sixteen years, she was still just as beautiful as he remembered. Then he reminded himself that she _was_ the Lily he remembered. While writing to Harry, Remus had thought about what might have brought Lily here, but he still had no idea. Obviously, she had tried to protect Harry, but had been thrown forward into the future.

Remus quietly got up out of his seat and went out to the shed. He beckoned his charcoal black owl Raven down out of the rafters, waited for the owl to extend its leg, then tied on the letter he had written to Harry.

"Find him quickly, Raven." Lupin said quietly.

The owl took off with a soft rustling of feathers, and disappeared into the night. After a few moments, Remus sat down on a wooden bench beside the front door. He raised his head towards the stars with a smile. Lily had arrived the day after the full moon. He was in no danger of transforming and putting anyone in danger.

"Still mystified by the stars, I see."

Remus jumped. Lily had woken up and quietly snuck up behind him.

"Sorry if I startled you." she smiled, coming to sit down beside him.

"It's ok, I could use the company." he replied.

Lily looked up at the stars and noticed that the moon was just past being full. "You must have had a rough week."

Remus sighed.

"Is something bothering you, Remus?" Lily asked, concerned.

Remus didn't know what to say. "James died sixteen years ago. Seeing you again is like reliving the past. I can't imagine how you must be feeling right now."

Lily sighed. "Until Molly told me, I was still hoping that somehow James had survived. All I remember is standing in the living room and hearing him yell 'He's here Lily, run, save Harry!'" Lily sighed again. "I ran to the nursery, and when I heard the curse again, I threw myself in front of Harry and Apparated. I swear I had hold of his blanket before I left."

The two sat in silence for a few moments. When Lily finally spoke again, her voice was quiet. "He must be very strong to have overcome such a tragedy."

Remus smiled. "Harry is very strong, and very determined," he said, "Just like his father was at seventeen."

Lily smiled. "Should I be worried about that?" she laughed.

Remus chuckled. "He's been the Seeker for the Gryffindor Quidditch team since his first year at Hogwarts…"

Lily's jaw dropped.

"…he's very smart, very brave, and since he lost the two of you, he has stood up to the Dark Lord three times."

Lily was astonished.

"Although," Remus added, "Since Severus killed Dumbledore, Harry hasn't been the same. He and Dumbledore shared a very special bond, and now Harry is determined to hunt down Severus and the Dark Lord and kill them."

Lily didn't know what to say. Momentarily, her motherly instincts kicked in."Doesn't he understand that someone his age cannot possibly stand a chance against the Dark Lord? He'll be killed! Hasn't anyone told him about the Prophecy!"

Remus looked at her and fought the urge to fall apart. Here he was, looking at the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen in his life, and he was about to take what remained of her family away from her.

"Remus, what is it?" she questioned.

"Lily, there's something you don't know. When Harry was fifteen, he snuck out of Hogwarts and into the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry of Magic. He destroyed the Prophecy. He knows all about it, and he still insists on trying to fight."

He proceeded to tell her about the events of that night.

Lily spoke in a whisper. "The Dark Lord possessed him? My son is as good as dead." she lowered her head.

Remus put his arm around her and tried to comfort her.

"Lily, he's made it this far because of you. You risked your life to save his, and left the mark of love upon him. Because of that, the Dark Lord couldn't touch him until he regenerated in Harry's fourth year."

Eventually, she leaned over and began to sob into his chest.

"Remus, why is this happening to me?" she wondered.

Remus shook his head sadly. He couldn't even begin to fathom why things had turned out the way they had.


	5. Chapter 5: Family Reunion

**Chapter 5: Family Reunion**

The next morning when Lily awoke, she and Remus were still sitting on the same bench in front of the Burrow. Her head was in Remus' lap, and his arm had fallen around her waist. Despite everything she had been through, Lily wanted to stay on that bench forever. Laying there, she felt safe and secure - something she needed to feel.

A few moments later, Remus woke up and looked down at Lily.

"Good morning." he smiled.

Slowly, Lily sat up. She didn't see the slight frown that momentarily passed over his face - he wanted to stay on that bench just as much as she did.

"I can't believe we slept out here all night." she said. "I'm surprised we didn't freeze to death."

Remus smiled and sniffed the air.

"I think maybe we did, because I think I smell a little bit of heaven floating out from the kitchen."

Lily giggled and ran to the kitchen like she was a little girl again. When he was sure she was inside, Remus stood up slowly and massaged what he could reach of his back and neck - the bench had not been kind to him. Quietly, he drew his wand and murmured a spell to get rid of his aches and pains. When he got inside, he found Lily standing in awe next to the table. When he looked, he saw why; the table was nearly bent in half with the weight of every breakfast food and drink he had ever seen.

"I think Molly is asking for your forgiveness." he smiled.

"She has it!" Lily chuckled.

They both broke out in laughter and took seats at the table. A few minutes later, Molly joined them, and the three friends sat eating breakfast and talking about their school days for hours. At one point, Raven landed on the kitchen windowsill, and Remus untied the piece of parchment attached to the owl's leg.

Professor Lupin,The Weasleys and I havejust touched down inLondon. We will be at theBurrow by no later than3pm today.

Harry

Lupin smiled. "Lily, I have good news for you."

Lily looked up from her plate, and Remus handed her the scroll.

"Harry's on his way? Does he know I'm here?" Lily smiled.

Remus nodded. "I sent him an owl last night. I told him that something amazing had happened, and that he should meet me here as soon as possible."

Lily was amazed. She pushed herself up out of her chair, and wrapped her arms around Remus in a tight hug. "Thank you!" she cried.

When Harry's letter arrived, it was noon; by 1pm, Lily had taken a shower, conjured up some Muggle summer clothes, and walked down to wait in the sitting room, where she wouldn't be immediately visible.

In order to keep Lily from becoming too panicky, Remus suggested a game of Wizard's Chess. The two were still playing when Molly came in at 2:45.

"Remus, I thought I should let you know that they'll be here in a few moments."

Remus didn't even need to ask how she knew. He took Lily's hand, squeezed it lightly for reassurance, then walked away into the kitchen. Sure enough, the Weasleys' clock now showed all seven Weasley childrens' faces moving towards "home."

"What do you think his reaction will be, Remus?" Molly questioned.

Remus sighed. "I don't know, Molly. I love them both very dearly. They need each other. Right now most especially. Harry needs someone to talk to, and so does Lily. I hope that his reaction is a good one."

Just as he finished speaking, a group of people began to appear from over the crest of a hill to the east. One by one Harry, Hermione, Ron, Fred, George, Charlie, Bill, Percy, and Ginny marched toward the house. When they were within thirty feet of the front door, the hands on the family clock moved to "home."

When the troupe walked in the door, Molly had a magically conjured plate of sandwiches and an enormous pitcher of lemonade waiting for them on the table. As each child (including Bill, Charlie and Percy) walked in the door, they were greeted with a handshake from Remus and a hug and kiss from Molly.

"Welcome home everyone. How was your trip?" Molly asked.

"Well, mum," Fred piped up, "we've traveled halfway across the country in six weeks, and we still haven't seen hide or hair of you-know-who or any of his masked buddies."

While Molly was greeting her children and hearing tales of their adventures abroad, Remus turned to Harry. In the past six weeks, Harry had aged dramatically. Maybe not physically, but emotionally, he had become tough as nails.

"Hello Harry." Remus greeted him.

"Hello Professor." Harry smiled.

Even though it had been more than three years since Remus had taught at Hogwarts, Harry still felt uncomfortable calling him anything but "Professor."

"Still no sign of Draco or Severus, I presume?" Remus asked.

"No, sir." Harry replied. "None at all. I'm beginning to wonder if they're planning an attack on the school. With Dumbledore gone, Voldemort has nothing to fear there anymore."

Remus thought for a moment. "Then I guess you'll just have to station yourselves there to protect it." he said at length.

As Remus said this, a sadness crept over Harry.

"I can't go back there. If I do, I'll lose it. Too many things have gone wrong there for me to go back. The students are safer the further they are from me."

Remus was quiet for a moment. Luckily, Harry changed the subject.

"So what is this 'rather interesting something' that has 'come to pass?'"

Remus smiled. "Harry, if I told you, you'd never believe me. Follow me and I'll show you."

Harry got a look on his face that was somewhere between confusion and frustration.

"What's so amazing that he can't just tell me?" Harry wanted to ask. Instead, he got up and followed Lupin into the living room. When he walked in the door, his heart dropped out of his chest. There, sitting on the sofa, was his mother.


	6. Chapter 6: Unexpected Assistance

**6. Unexpected Assistance**

"Harry…meet your mother. Lily…meet your son." Remus said slowly, waiting for their reactions.

The two strangers stared at each other for what seemed an eternity. Neither knew what to do or say. Finally, Harry was the first to react. It was as though he had just finished running a long distance. All of a sudden, he started gasping for air. Tears began to stream down his face. The woman he was looking at was exactly like what he'd seen in all his pictures, but how could she possibly be alive?

"M-mum?" he whispered. "H-how? W-what? W-when?…" he trailed off.

By this time, there were tears streaming down Lily's face as well. Before she could get anything coherent to come out of her mouth, Harry turned to Lupin with a questioning gaze.

"She was transported here the day your father was killed." Lupin answered him before he even asked.

Harry still looked shocked.

"Have a seat, Harry; I'll explain it to both of you."

Harry walked over to the couch where Lily sat. Very slowly, he took a seat next to her.

"You look just like all the pictures I've seen." Harry smiled sadly.

Lily returned his smile. "You look like your father." she said, repeating the words of just about everyone Harry had ever met. Somehow, hearing her say it didn't agitate him.

"I have your eyes, though." Harry added.

"You do indeed." Lily nodded.

Very slowly, Harry leaned forward, and for the very first time, gave his mother a hug.

Remus stood watching nearby. Amongst all this happiness, sadness slowly captured his heart; he would never have a family of his own - it was far too great a risk to even try; or at least so Remus thought.

When Lily opened her eyes and saw the sadness in Remus's eyes, she regretfully let go of Harry, and through her tears, asked Remus the question that they all wanted the answer to.

"How _did_ I get here, Remus?"

Remus took a seat in an armchair by the fire, and began to speak.

"According to your story, Lily, when the Dark Lord appeared at your house what was to us sixteen years ago, you ran directly to Harry's room, on James's orders. The Dark Lord apparently saw you leave, killed James, and followed you. Before he could get to either you or Harry, you dove in front of Harry's crib to protect him and Apparated, trying to take Harry with you. From what I can figure, the Dark Lord must have tried to kill Harry first, and since you were trying to protect him, he survived and you were sent into the future."

Lily and Harry still looked slightly confused.

Remus smiled understandingly, and continued. "When you Apparate, you have a specific destination in mind. Judging by where you appeared, Lily, I'm guessing that your destination was your driveway. When the Dark Lord cast his spell at Harry, it threw your destination off, and sent you flying through time."

Harry looked as though he finally understood.

"But why to this particular moment?" he asked curiously. "Why not just a few moments into the future instead of sixteen years? Not that I'm not grateful." he added, looking at Lily and smiling.

Remus shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't answer that. I can only guess that your mother has a purpose here." He looked over at Lily, but Lily was no longer paying attention to him. Instead, she was staring off into space over Remus's shoulder.

"Lily? What's wrong?" Remus asked worriedly.

Lily didn't immediately answer. She had just noticed a portrait hanging over Molly's fireplace. The portrait was of Molly's father, who Lily knew had been dead for what was now twenty years. An idea had just entered her mind, and she was still wondering if it would work, when Harry interrupted her thoughts.

"Mom, are you ok?" He asked, worried that Lupin had said something that had affected her deeply.

Very slowly, Lily began to speak.

"Remus," she said, "ask Molly to come here for a moment. I think I might have just found someone to help us solve this mystery."

Within two minutes, Molly was in the living room, and Lily was snapped out of her daydream. Instead, her mind was moving a mile a minute.

"Molly," she asked, "how long after your father died was that portrait commissioned?"

Molly looked at the portrait, remembering twenty years ago, then answered her. "A few months, why do you ask?"

Lily didn't answer her. Instead, she turned to Harry.

"How long has Dumbledore been dead?" she asked hurriedly.

Harry thought for a few moments. Though it hurt him to do so, Harry thought of Dumbledore's funeral. "He was killed in April, so about four months." he answered slowly and sadly.

Everyone in the room was now confused except for Lily.

"If Dumbledore is dead, and he was such an important and magnificent man, don't you think someone would've created a portrait of him by now?" she finally revealed to them.

They were astonished. In the Muggle world, a portrait wouldn't be a big deal. However, in the magical world, portraits could speak.

"Someone did create a portrait of him. It's hanging in Dum-, I mean, McGonagall's office. I saw it last year before the end of term."

"PERCY!!!" Molly yelled.

Percy walked into the living room and looked directly at Lily. Before his eyes could even finish widening, Molly began speaking to him.

"Percy, go to the Ministry and find out if there is a portrait of Albus Dumbledore there. If there is, ask to see it. If not, find your father and come home immediately."

Percy nodded his head and Apparated with a "pop."

Molly then turned to Lily and smiled. "You always were the smart one." she said brightly.

Just then, Ron walked into the room.

"Mum, Fred and George…" he started, but whatever Fred and George had done was immediately forgotten when his eyes came to rest on Lily.

"Harry, isn't that…I mean, doesn't she look like…?" he rambled.

Harry smiled at Ron's confusion.

"Ron, this is my mother. Mother, this is my best friend Ron."

Lily smiled. "Ron and I met long ago; when he was newly born as a matter of fact." She stared at Ron. "You've grown a lot since then." she smiled.

"Th-thank you." Ron stammered, blushing slightly, the redness clashing terribly with his hair.

Now it was Molly's turn to smile. "Ronald, tell everyone to come in here. It's best to explain all at once rather than ten times." she chuckled.

Ron did as he was told, shaking his head in disbelief all the way to the kitchen.

After everyone had gathered in the living room, everyone was introduced and re-introduced, and everyone was told about how Lily had come to be in the year 2006. When the explanation was finished, and the chatter had quieted down a bit, Hermione spoke up.

"Ronald," she said determinedly, "why don't we go into the kitchen and get dinner started? I'm sure Harry and his mother would like some time alone."

Ron completely ignored her, and continued staring at Lily in utter disbelief.

"Ronald!" Hermione scolded.

Ron jumped as if he had been burned. "Coming Hermione!" he replied.

Lily laughed, and everyone else followed suit. "Thank you, Hermione. It was very nice meeting you."

Hermione smiled widely. "You're welcome. It was a pleasure to meet you too."

Slowly, each of the Weasleys caught on and came up with their own reasons to leave. Before Ginny left, she squeezed Harry's shoulder ever so slightly, and flashed him a smile, which he returned. Eventually, only Remus was left with the newly reunited Potters.

"Well," he finally said, "I think I'll send an owl to Alastor and Nymphadora to see how their mission is coming along." He flashed them both a smile, which they returned, and went up to his room.

Lily and Harry sat in silence for a few moments. Neither of them knew quite what to say.

"Remus tells me that you're quite the Quidditch player." Lily finally said, beaming.

Harry smiled. "I guess I am. In my first year, someone stole something from a friend of mine and threw it from a broomstick. I managed to catch it about a foot from the ground."

Lily was amazed. "You must be very daring." she said knowingly.

Harry chuckled and shook his head. "I'm sure everyone thinks so. It doesn't seem that way to me, though. I just do things because they feel right to me." he shrugged.

Lily smiled proudly. He reminded her so much of James. She was very happy with the way he had grown up. She just wished she could've been there to see it.

The two spent an hour getting to know each other. Harry asked Lily every question he'd always wanted to ask her, and Lily asked him about how his life had been, and how much the world had changed in sixteen years. Just as Harry was explaining how Hagrid had given Dudley a tail, Molly stuck her head around the corner of the living room door.

"Come to the kitchen quickly," she said to Lily and Harry, "Percy and Arthur have just come home with some wonderful news!"

They followed her to the kitchen, and five minutes later, all nine Weasleys, Harry, Hermione, Remus, and Lily, were all crowded around the Weasleys's kitchen table.

"Lily, it's wonderful to see you again." Arthur beamed, wrapping his arms around her.

"Thank you, Arthur. I'm glad to be here." she smiled.

Arthur let her go, and Percy chimed in.

"Mrs. Potter, I did as Mother asked, and discovered that not one, but two portraits have been created of Professor Dumbledore. As Harry said, one portrait currently hangs in the office of the headmistress, Professor McGonagall, and the other hangs in the Ministry."

"Wonderful!" Lily exclaimed. Everyone around her beamed.

"Also," Percy continued pompously, "Father and I had the opportunity to speak to the portrait that hangs in the Ministry. Dumbledore said he will meet all of us in the living room at eleven o' clock."

"Eleven?!?" Molly exclaimed "Why, that's only twenty minutes away! Hurry, everyone find seats in the living room! Quickly!"

Everyone did as they were told, and within fifteen minutes, they were all seated around the fireplace, and all had a view of the portrait hanging over it. Where Molly's father normally sat, there was nothing but an empty armchair.

"Where is he?" Fred asked, his voice loud among all the others' silence.

"Probably got lost." George replied, thinking that his brother had been joking.

"Shut up! Both of you!" Molly snapped. "This is no time for wisecracks."

Just then, the hem of Dumbledore's robes appeared on the edge of the painting, followed by Dumbledore himself. He took a seat in the vacant armchair, and everyone sat silently, watching him. When he was comfortable, he gazed out at them all sadly. Everyone's' eyes were brimming with tears, including Dumbledore. When his eyes came to rest on Lily, his crooked nose twitched slightly, and a tear fell from his right eye, down behind the lens of his half-moon spectacles, and down his cheek.

"So my theory was correct." he said softly. "It is truly wonderful to see you again, Lily. After all these years, I'm glad the Fates allowed you to come back to us."

Lily wiped a tear from her eye. "It's wonderful to see you again too, Professor." she almost sobbed.

"I'd always wondered whether or not it was possible to redirect an Apparition." Dumbledore continued. "I guess you just answered my query. I am so _very_ glad to see you alive."

Lily smiled at him sadly, wishing she could hug him. Dumbledore had been like her own father. She loved him very dearly.

"I guess you are all wondering whether or not I can tell you how this charming young woman came to be sitting here today." Dumbledore addressed the crowd assembled around him. "Indeed I can. After Sirius was established as the Potters' secret-keeper, and the Potters were all well hidden in Godric's Hollow, my instinct told me that something terrible was about to happen. Not long after I was informed of the condition of the Potters' home, I stopped by and observed the Ministry as they cleaned up the scene and modified the memories of the few Muggles who had witnessed the event. Though I sadly saw them carry James's body out of the ruins, I never saw them carry away Lily. Harry's crib was the only item in the entire household that had remained untouched. When I approached it, I found Harry laying inside, slumbering peacefully. Cornelius Fudge and I came to the agreement that since Sirius had been arrested for murder, (an incident I was powerless to prevent, no matter how hard I tried,) Harry should be sent to live with the only family he had left: Lily's Muggle relatives, the Dursleys. I took Harry back to Hogwarts with me (for reasons I shall not explain just now) and thought for a while about what could possibly have happened. I pondered on how Harry could be alive, James dead, and Lily missing. I knew, just as everyone else did, that Voldemort" - everyone but Harry flinched - "didn't take prisoners. I had also specifically requested that Lily and James not leave the house unless they heard from me. My only other theory was that when the Dark Lord cast his killing curse, it rebounded off of Lily and threw her through time instead of place. She still technically died protecting Harry, so her love kept him safe until the Dark Lord returned two and a half years ago."

Everyone still seemed confused.

"How did Harry survive if I didn't really die?" Lily asked inquisitively. "It doesn't seem possible."

Dumbledore smiled sadly. "Technically, Lily, you did die. Your soul ceased to exist in the particular moment in time when it should have. If your soul is removed from time, then you are, technically, and by all explanations, dead. Even though you are sitting there right now Lily, you have been dead for sixteen years, even though the attack on your family was only yesterday."

Lily nodded sadly, absorbing everything Dumbledore had said. "If you'll all excuse me, I need to step outside to get some air." she stood up and looked at Dumbledore. "I am very glad to have had the opportunity to speak with you Professor. I only wish I could truly have seen you again."

Dumbledore smiled sadly. "I am glad to have spoken with you, too Lily."

With that, Lily left the room, and headed for the kitchen door and the yard beyond. While everyone else was busy crowding around Dumbledore, Remus snuck out of the room and followed her.


	7. Chapter 7: Impulse and Instinct

**7. Impulse and Instinct**

Lily walked out the kitchen door and out into the calm, cool, starry night. She walked slowly down the front walk, and collapsed crying at the gate. She felt so alone. Remus walked out the door and saw her sitting on the ground. He wanted so much to end her pain, but he knew there was nothing he could do. As he turned to go back inside, Lily spoke softly.

"Remus, don't go. Please. Stay here with me." she said through her tears.

Slowly, almost silently, Remus walked over to her and knelt down by her side.

"What can I do?" he asked her quietly, trying his best to keep from taking her in his arms. "I'll do anything you ask of me. I'll help you in any way I can."

Lily wiped the tears from her eyes and looked up into Remus's eyes. They were a deep blue, and she felt that if she looked into them long enough, she'd get lost in them.

"Will you take me to see him?" Lily almost whispered. Remus could sense the underlying plea in her voice.

Remus didn't need an explanation, nor did he ask for one. However, he hesitated a moment before giving Lily an answer.

Swallowing hard, Remus answered Lily as best he could, squeezing his words out with great difficulty. "Absolutely," he nearly choked over the knot that had formed in his throat, " Take my hand." he said, standing up and preparing to Apparate.

Instead of following his instructions, Lily stood and wrapped her arms around his neck, and pressed her body close against his, her head, facing the ground, settled on his chest.

Remus hesitated, then gently wrapped his arms around her, squeezing his eyes shut to contain the emotion welling up inside them. With a "pop," he Apparated to Hogsmeade Cemetery, where James had been buried years previous. Remus took Lily's hand and led her through the gates. It was a lonely walk between all the headstones; one Remus hadn't been on in many years. Though James had been one of his best friends, he had neglected visiting the cemetery because he couldn't bear to face the cold marble of James's tombstone. Each time he saw it, it reminded him of the way James would react if he knew that Remus was in love with Lily. Now, standing in front of the stone with Lily, Remus felt like a traitor. He couldn't even bear to look at the stone for more than a few seconds. As he let go of Lily's hand, and she knelt down on the ground in front of it, Remus looked away towards the Shrieking Shack. His memories of the Marauders' adventures flowed though his memory like blood through his veins. Through his reverie, Remus could just barely make out Lily's voice.

"…beloved husband and father. Messrs Moony and Padfoot will miss you sorely."

Remus looked down at her then, and he watched as she softly brushed the engraved words with her fingertips.

"I'll miss you too, James." she said quietly, barely above a whisper. "I miss you already." she stood slowly, her face still pointed towards the ground, trying to keep it out of Remus's sight. Once again, she laid her head upon Remus's chest.

"Thank you for being such a wonderful friend." she whispered so softly that Remus almost had to strain to hear her. "I'm ready to go now."

Remus once again wrapped his arms around her, and she did the same to him. With another "pop," they Disapparated back to the Burrow. When they arrived, Lily didn't let go. She stood with her arms around Remus's torso, and he swore that his heart was going to beat a hole through his chest. It was tearing him up to see her so distraught, and without realizing what he was doing, he lowered his head and kissed the top of her head. Lily slowly raised her head and looked into his eyes. Remus panicked.

"I-I'm sorry," he said quickly, loosening his arms from around her shoulders and taking a few steps backwards, "I didn't mean to do that."

Just as he was about to turn towards the house, Lily said something that froze him on the spot.

"Yes you do mean it, and it's ok."

They both stood in silence for a few moments, neither knowing what to say.

"Lily, I -" Remus began, but Lily had already begun to walk closer towards him, and at that second she put her fingers over his mouth.

"Shh." she said softly, almost erotically. She moved her finger away and gently brushed her lips against his. Remus felt like his heart was going to burst as he returned her kiss, feeling her lips part along with his own. Suddenly, he realized that he shouldn't be doing this. He stopped abruptly and backed away. Lily looked confused.

"Lily, I'm sorry. I can't…we can't…I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Remus stammered, bolting into the Burrow and up the rickety stairs to the bathroom. He pulled out his wand, locking himself in, and collapsed on the floor. He loved her so much it hurt, but he couldn't let her know. He couldn't. _But why? _Because he'd never be normal. Besides, to her, James had only been dead for almost a day. He couldn't hurt James either. He held his head in his hands and sobbed.

Lily didn't know what to do. Remus had been her friend for years, and now she felt as though she had done something wrong. She _had_ done something wrong, hadn't she? Why had she kissed him? Why had he kissed her? She felt lost. Slowly, she walked inside. Everyone had long since gone to bed, and Dumbledore had returned to his portrait at Hogwarts. Lily made her way into the living room and laid down on the sofa. She felt as though she had betrayed James, but she couldn't help remembering how Remus had trembled when she ran her fingers through his hair. Not knowing what to think or what to do, Lily fell asleep, exhausted from the events of the day.

When Harry got to Ron's room, where he would be staying until the group set out again, he thought he was hearing things. He swore that he heard Dumbledore calling his name. He spun around and realized that Dumbledore was sitting in a magical version of "Whistler's Mother," which was now hanging right next to Ron's bedroom window.

"Professor?" he asked curiously, intrigued at the image of the tall, skinny old man sitting in a rocking chair. It made Harry wonder whether or not wizards had retirement, and if Dumbledore had lost his chance at it.

"Harry," Dumbledore said sadly, "I wished to speak to you earlier, but everyone seemed so intent to crowd around me and ask questions that I couldn't find a way to speak to you in private."

"What did you want to speak to me about?" Harry asked, sitting down cross-legged on the floor.

Dumbledore took a deep breath and sighed before answering.

"Harry, I wanted to tell you before… before that night." Dumbledore hesitated. "The location of the final of the Dark Lord's horcruxes."

Harry waited patiently, and Dumbledore sighed again.

"I am afraid, Harry, that _you_ are the final horcrux."


	8. Chapter 8: Full of Surprises

**8: Full of Surprises**

"I am the final horcrux?" Harry thought to himself, somehow not finding this new piece of information hard to believe. "That means I must be destroyed in order for Voldemort to die." he said sadly, looking at Dumbledore for support.

"Yes, Harry, unfortunately it does." Dumbledore replied as sadly as he had been speaking all night.

Harry forced himself to smile, even though his heart was breaking. "'Sometimes we must decide between what is right and what is easy.'" he quoted.

Dumbledore nodded slowly. "Do you understand how it must happen?" he asked.

Harry nodded. "Voldemort does not realize that I am what I am. Otherwise, he wouldn't be so eager to kill me. Either that or he's willing to have me destroyed because he thinks that all the rest of his horcruxes are safe. In order for him to be destroyed, I first have to make sure that all the other horcruxes are destroyed, and then allow him to kill me, just like he's wanted to all along." he paused for a moment. "If Voldemort kills me, though, who will kill him?" he looked at Dumbledore expectantly.

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow.

"Wait a minute…Neville?" Harry looked incredulous.

Dumbledore remained motionless, confirming Harry's suspicion.

"Neville is supposed to destroy Voldemort?!?"

Dumbledore still remained motionless.

"Had the Dark Lord marked Neville as his equal, you would be the one to kill Voldemort, and Neville would have to die."

Harry sighed and put his head in his hands.

"I guess this means that Neville and I will be putting the Room of Requirement to use again this year." he mumbled.

"I think that would be a wise decision." Dumbledore said softly. He paused for a moment as if he wanted to continue, and Harry looked up at him expectantly. "You may not think so, but the students at Hogwarts need you. By going back, you'd be protecting them, not putting them in harm's way. I know it doesn't seem that way now, but I promise you, you will not find Voldemort by looking for him. When he is ready, he will come to you."

Harry's face grew sad at the mention of returning to Hogwarts.

"Professor, there's something I've been wondering." he said at length.

Dumbledore waited patiently for him to continue, the blueness of his eyes making him look sadder than ever.

"Why did you freeze me that night on the tower?"

Dumbledore had been expecting the question, but expecting it didn't make it any easier to answer. He hesitated a few moments before answering. "I froze you because I knew that Draco would not hesitate to kill you. Neither would Severus."

Harry was shocked. "You knew they were going to come after you?"

Dumbledore sighed again.

"I knew from the very beginning that Severus was spying not only for us, but against us as well. I guess I hoped that he would eventually choose to be on our side. I was wrong. Eventually, I came to realize that it would only be a matter of time before he was asked to do away with me. Only by doing so could Voldemort get to you."

Harry stood up. "Wonderful!" he practically shouted. "I finally get to meet my mother, and now I get to meet my father, too!"

Dumbledore sat calmly in the painting as he had sat behind is desk so many times, listening to Harry's rant. Harry paced back and forth, gripping his hair in his hands. Suddenly, he stopped and turned to face Dumbledore.

"Why can't life ever be normal?" he asked.

"What fun would there be if it was?" Dumbledore smiled sadly.

Harry sighed and gripped his hair again.

"I guess I'd better start thinking about what I'm going to teach Neville."

Dumbledore nodded.

"I'll leave you to it then. Good night, Harry."

"Good night professor."

As Dumbledore walked out of the painting, Ron walked through the bedroom door.

"Oy, Harry, I didn't expect you to still be awake." Ron's face turned as red as his hair.

"Where have you been?" Harry asked , suddenly upset, though he had no idea why.

"I, uh, I was uh…" he trailed.

"Never mind." Harry said, suddenly realizing that he probably didn't want to know, at least if it involved Hermione. She and Ron had become closer than ever over the summer, and though it didn't normally bother him, he was suddenly irritated about it. "We should get some sleep. Tomorrow's going to be a busy day." He didn't elaborate on that remark, but instead laid down on his bed, still fully clothed, put his glasses on the bedside table, and closed his eyes. Ron, confused, changed into his pajamas and crawled into his own bed.

The next morning, when Harry opened his eyes, Ron was missing again. Harry got out of bed, changed his clothes, put his glasses on and ran a brush through his hair. He headed down to breakfast, and as he reached the bottom of the stairs, he heard whispers coming from the dining room.

"Hey guys, what's going-?"

"SURPRISE!!!"

"Happy Birthday, Harry!"

Harry was stunned. He couldn't believe that in the midst of all the chaos, he'd forgotten his own birthday. He couldn't say a word. Instead, he looked around at the faces all around him. The dining room table was laden with all of his favorite dishes, including treacle tart and pumpkin juice. There were presents piled high to the ceiling, and surrounding him on all sides were his friends and (the thought made him smile) his family.

"Thank you everyone." he finally managed to squeeze out. "I'm absolutely sure I don't deserve this, considering that I've dragged you all cross-country for the past six weeks."

"Oh, don't put yourself down so, Harry!" Mrs. Weasley scolded. "Sit down and blow out your candles!"

Even Lily couldn't suppress a laugh.

Although Harry enjoyed all of the presents he got that day, he found that the best present of all was just being in a normal environment and being able to pretend, at least for the time being, that everything was fine. Most of all, he enjoyed sitting by the fireside chatting with his mother over a steaming cup of cocoa that night. Somehow he finally felt complete, and with that realization, a sense of dread came over him as the events of the previous night replayed themselves in his mind.


	9. Chapter 9: Back to School

**9: Back to School**

On September first, all children returning to Hogwarts finished packing their trunks and prepared to leave for Grand Central Station. In the Weasley household, goodbyes were said quickly, and all who were staying behind gathered in the doorway as the children were taken away in the specially ordered Ministry of Magic cars that had arrived that morning. Ron and Hermione tried their best not to stare at Harry, but found it extremely difficult. All they'd heard since Dumbledore's death was that Harry was never returning to Hogwarts, not even if his life depended on it, and now here he was sitting beside them heading for Grand Central Station. As if to remove all doubt, Harry was the first to depart from the car, and the first to walk through the barrier onto Platform 9¾. The whole way to Hogsmeade, Harry remained silent and still as stone. He didn't even budge an inch when the witch with the snack cart came by. It wasn't until the trio, joined by Neville and Ginny boarded the thestral-drawn carriages that he finally spoke.

"Look, I know I said I would never come back here, but I've got some unfinished business to take care of." he practically shouted. As he was reaching out to close the door, he caught sight of the white tomb, so he slammed the door and yanked the curtains closed.

Ron and Hermione didn't reply to this, but instead decided to change the subject.

"I wonder who our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher will be?" Hermione asked into the silence.

"I really don't care." Harry growled.

Hermione looked stung.

"Are we going to be using the Room of Requirement again this year?" Ron piped up.

Harry took a deep breath. "Look you guys," he growled "You're my best friends. I can't be responsible for keeping you safe anymore." He let his gaze slip to Ginny. "Just stay as far away from me as possible, ok?"

Ron and Hermione looked taken aback, Ginny looked like she was about to cry, and Neville looked like he wanted to stop the carriage and walk the rest of the way to the castle.

"But Harry," Ron whimpered. "What about this summer? We followed you then."

"Yes, Harry," Hermione chimed in "We followed you then, and we'll follow you until this whole mess is over with."

The carriage finally stopped, and Harry pushed past Neville and out the door. He walked as fast as could up to the castle and into the Great Hall. He didn't even bother to look up at the staff table. Throughout the Sorting, (this year directed by the new Deputy Headmaster Professor Flitwick) Harry kept his eyes on the plate in front of him. When Professor McGonagall finally took her new place at the Headmaster's podium to deliver the annual start-of-term speech, Harry barely heard a word.

"Ladies and gentlemen," she began "I know that all of you knew and loved Professor Dumbledore very much. I am here to tell you that I have no intention of even attempting to fill his shoes. He was and always shall remain the greatest Headmaster Hogwarts has ever seen." she paused. "However," she added at length "I will be keeping an eye on each and every one of you. If anyone even steps a single toe out of line, they will be duly punished. As always, the Forbidden Forest is off limits to all students, and anyone caught in the hallways after dark will be expelled. You have been warned." she waited a moment before continuing, during which no one in the Great Hall said a word.

"As you all know," she finally continued, "we lost another Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher last year. Thankfully, I managed to convince our dear Professor Lupin to return to us."

Harry raised his head and looked up at the staff table. He was shocked to see that Professor Lupin was, indeed sitting where Snape had the year before. As his eyes continued to roam over the staff table, he was floored to see who was sitting in Slughorn's old seat right next to Lupin.

"Also regrettably," Professor McGonagall continued once more, "Professor Slughorn has decided not to return this year. I am very happy to announce that our new potions master for this year and Gryffindor's new head of house for this year and for as long as she is willing to stay is Professor Lily Potter."

Where the Great Hall had been quiet before, it was no so quiet that the only sound that could be heard was the swishing sound as Mrs. Norris's tail moved back and forth. In fact, had Harry been looking, he would've seen that not only was Mr. Filch smiling (which was a gruesome sight indeed), but a tear had begun to slowly slide down his cheek. Even Mrs. Norris looked slightly less menacing than she normally did.

"I'm sure the sudden reappearance of Mrs. Potter is quite surprising to all of you. I assure you that I myself was not above a certain level of apprehension at first. However, after a few long conversations involving a few light doses of Veritaserum, I have determined that our Professor Potter is indeed very original."

Harry was frozen. Through his reverie, he thought he heard the unmistakable sounds of Hagrid beginning to cry fiercely.

"And now, let the feast begin!" and as had happened during all the years previous, and as would happen every night in the remaining history of Hogwarts, the golden plates suddenly filled themselves to bursting. As if in a trance, Harry turned and began to fill his plate. Although he had initially not been hungry, once he began to eat, he found that he couldn't stop.

As all the professors were filling their plates, Remus turned to Lily and began to speak to her for the first time since their "incident" in July.

"So professor, are you excited to be back at Hogwarts again?" he smiled.

"Well," she replied, "it's a bit different, but I'm glad that some of the old crowd are still around. Molly was so excited when I told her. She wished she could come back too; most likely just to keep the children out of trouble."

Remus chuckled. "Have you given any thought to your lesson plan yet? When I was here four years ago, I had a bit of trouble with mine. I was more terrified than any of the students could ever guess."

"I hadn't actually started mine yet, but I'm sure I could help you with yours if you like. I assure you that I won't laugh at any of your ideas."

Remus smiled. "Actually, I was wondering if you might like some help with yours."

Lily looked up and held his gaze for what seemed like an eternity. "I think I'd like that." she replied, turning away and taking a sip of pumpkin juice. "I was planning on setting up my office right after dinner. You're more than welcome to stop by."

Ten minutes after dinner, Remus left his office and headed down to the dungeons. He'd done his best to improve his appearance, but he was certain that his grey hair was still a mess, and he knew there was no improving the scars on his face. He wondered again for the millionth time what he was doing, when he realized that he was standing outside Lily's office door. He took a deep breath, then knocked softly. He heard footsteps approaching, then the door opened.

"Good evening, Professor Lupin." Lily smiled.

"Good evening." Remus replied, trying to remind himself to breathe.

"Please, come in and make yourself comfortable." Lily seemed to be saying, but the only sound Remus heard was his heart pounding. He walked into the room, and Lily closed the door behind him. As he looked around, he was extremely grateful to see that Lily had removed all trace of Severus Snape from this office. All the preserved animals had disappeared from the shelves on the walls, and had been replaced with books. Remus remembered with a pleasant warmth in his heart that Lily had been a very avid reader when she'd attended Hogwarts; in fact, he had often accompanied her to the library for long periods of time, just to watch her read while he was pretending to do the same himself. Not that he didn't like to read; he just found it a very difficult activity to do when sitting near Lily Potter.

A merry fire crackled in the hearth, and two cups of steaming hot chocolate had been set out on a table in front of it. On either side of the table sat a large, squishy armchair, and it was into one of these that Remus took a seat.

"You've done a lot with the place." he finally managed to say. "When Severus was here, this place looked like a torture chamber. You've definitely warmed it up a bit."

Lily chuckled. "It definitely needed a woman's touch." she said, taking a seat opposite Remus. "It made me want to kill James and Sirius for picking on Severus like they used to. If they hadn't, he may have turned out to be a better person. He certainly had the potential when he wasn't being dangled upside down."

Remus remained silent at the mention of his two deceased comrades and realized with a pang that he was the last of the Marauders.

"Help yourself to some cocoa." Lily said, noticing his discomfort. "A house-elf named Dobby brought it to me just before you arrived. In fact, it took everything I had just to get him to leave."

For what seemed the first time in ages, Remus let out a hearty laugh that sounded to his ears almost like a howl. He cut it short abruptly. "Dobby and Harry are very good friends. If it weren't for Harry, that poor elf would still be working for the Malfoys." Seeing the curiosity on Lily's face, Remus decided to tell her the story of how Harry had gone into the Chamber of Secrets.

"He shut one of his socks into the pages of Tom Riddle's diary?" she somehow managed to look incredulous, disgusted and proud at the same time.

Remus chuckled softly. "That he did. He knew the only way to free Dobby was for one of the Malfoys to give him clothes. He hated Lucius so much at that point that he decided to 'kick him while he was down.'"

Lily smiled sadly.

"Harry was born to be a hero." Remus thought sadly. He finally picked up his cup of cocoa and took a sip; it was the best he'd ever tasted.

"Any idea what you're going to have your students do?" he said by way of changing the subject. "I believe Horace had them working on antidotes last year."

Lily thought for a moment. "Antidotes sounds like a good idea. Especially with Death Eaters running around everywhere." she paused and took a sip of her cocoa. "What about you?"

"I was thinking about teaching Patronuses to the older students, and teaching the younger ones how to block Unforgivable Curses. That's what I did last time, and they all seemed to love it."

"I suppose Patronuses would be an extremely good idea, with the dementors breeding like rabbits and all this creepy fog everywhere." Lily nodded.

Remus remembered something, and began to chuckle. "Then again, some of the older students and quite a few others already know how to conjure Patronuses, thanks to Harry."

Once again, Lily looked stunned.

"Harry is an extremely extraordinary wizard, Lily. Everyone thinks so."

She smiled. "I can see why. He's had so many extremely extraordinary people teaching and taking care of him that it's no surprise he's grown up to be such an amazing person."

Remus smiled shyly and sipped his cocoa.

"Is he anything like his father?" Lily wondered aloud.

"Well," Remus said, gulping his cocoa and accidentally scalding his throat, "he does have a certain knack for breaking the rules. He flies very well, but he doesn't show off. He keeps his friends very close, and does his best to make everyone around him happy."

"That's good to hear." Lily smiled sadly.

"He's never done anything that would make you not proud of him." Remus added as an afterthought.

Lily smiled and took another sip of her cocoa - it was beginning to get cold. "When he was a baby, I never thought that there would be a time when I wouldn't be able to be a part of his life. All I wanted to do was take care of him, and I haven't even been able to do that." she set down her mug and stared into the fire, a tear trickling down her cheek.

Without thinking, Remus crossed to her chair and knelt on the floor next to her. He raised his hand and very gently brushed away her tear with his thumb. "You gave him more than anyone else ever can." he said softly, almost huskily, "You gave him life. You were willing to give yours to save his, and that's exactly what happened. You saved his life. If it weren't for you, he wouldn't be here at all." Realizing that his hand was now beginning to trail through Lily's hair, Remus cleared his throat and stood up, not noticing the crestfallen look that crossed Lily's face. "Perhaps we should set to work on our lesson plans before it gets too late. We both have class in the morning, and it would be a shame to arrive looking like zombies."

"Indeed." Lily replied determinedly, wiping her eyes and crossing the room to her desk.

For the next hour, the two professors sat in their armchairs working on their lesson plans, hardly exchanging a word. At one point, Lily put down her quill and raised her head. "Remus, I've been wondering something."

Remus almost dropped his quill in terror. He raised his head slowly.

"Without James and Sirius, how did get through a year of teaching?"

Remus relaxed a bit and took a deep breath before answering. "When I arrived, I spoke to Dumbledore, and I guess he had Severus agree to brew some wolfs bane potion for me."

Lily listened carefully. "Is it a difficult potion to brew?"

Remus shrugged. "Severus never seemed to have any problem with it, but then again, he was quite a potions master."

Lily was silent for a moment. "Perhaps I could find the instructions on how to brew it."

Remus smiled at her kindness. "You really don't have to trouble yourself if you don't want to. I could just lock myself in the shrieking shack."

"It's no trouble, really. I wouldn't mind at all."

Remus smiled his thanks.

"Actually, Severus left some old potions books here when he left." Lily said, placing her lesson plan carefully on the table beside her to dry. "Why don't we go through them and see if thee recipe is in one of them?"

Remus looked slightly confused. _"But what about our lesson plans?" _he seemed to want to ask.

"Oh Remus," Lily chuckled, "to be perfectly honest, I've known what I was going to teach since Minerva first contacted me. My lesson plan is already finished."

Remus was stunned and speechless.

Lily walked over and knelt beside his chair. "I invited you here because I thought you might like to have a cup of hot chocolate with me."

Remus looked like he wanted to do something, but couldn't quite make up his mind. His eyes hit the floor, and he blushed slightly.

"Remus," Lily whispered, "don't worry about James. It's been more than a month; at least to me."

Remus's eyes raised slowly, and his heart began to pound with every word Lily spoke. "Are you sure?" he asked cautiously. "The last thing in the world I would ever want to do is hurt you."

Lily smiled. Without a word, she reached up and caressed his cheek. Remus drew a deep, shaking breath. Gently, Lily leaned forward and brushed her lips across his. Remus couldn't move. He could swear he was either dying or dreaming. Certainly this couldn't be real. Before he could even register what he was doing, he lifted his hand and began to run his fingers through Lily's hair.

_"I guess this is real." _he finally allowed himself to think.


	10. Chapter 10: Love

**10: Love**

While Lily and Remus were getting better acquainted, Harry crawled out of bed, grabbed his Invisibility Cloak and the Marauder's Map, and made his way down to the Gryffindor Common Room. When he was sure that it was empty, he opened up the map and pointed his wand at it.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." he whispered into the night.

As usual, Hogwarts came to life in miniature right before his eyes. He threw the Invisibility Cloak around his shoulders, checked to make sure that the corridor was empty, and made his way out of the portrait hole. He walked the familiar route to the stone gargoyle outside the headmaster's office, and checked to make sure that McGonagall was in her office. He saw with relief that she was sitting at her desk. He stuffed the map into his pocket, pulled off the cloak, and approached the statue. It took him a few moments to realize that he didn't know the password.

"Look," he said to the statue, "I don't know the password, but it's really important that I speak to Professor McGonagall."

The gargoyle stared at him dispassionately and didn't budge an inch.

Harry growled in impatience and decided to wait until the next morning when he would see Professor McGonagall in Transfiguration class. He ducked behind a statue, put his cloak back on and pulled the map from his pocket. He wandered along the corridor for a few moments, and ducked into a dark hallway when he saw Peeves coming around a corner. Before he knew it, he found himself on the fifth floor, so he decided to pay a visit to the Room of Requirement.

"I need someplace I can be alone for a while to sit and think." he thought to himself as he walked back and forth in front of the doorway. When he opened his eyes, he was standing in front of a solid oak door with a brass doorknob. He took a deep breath, reached out, turned the knob, opened the door, and stepped inside.

Inside the room was the largest fireplace Harry had ever seen. Sitting in front of the fireplace was a large, squishy armchair with a footstool stationed in front of it. Laid out beside the chair was a coffee table laden with hot chocolate, cookies of all shapes and sizes, and many other kinds of snacks.

"Smart castle." Harry thought with a smile. He closed the door, stepped inside, and began to inspect the rest of the room.

Along two walls were floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, covered with books wizard and Muggle alike. The fourth wall held a large cabinet full of all sorts of board games, in front of which stood a table and chairs set up to play Wizard's Chess. Sufficiently impressed, he walked over to the fireplace and took a seat in the armchair.

"I am the final horcrux." he thought, picking up the steaming mug of hot chocolate. "In order for Voldemort to die, I must die. Meaning that if I don't die, neither will the most powerful force of evil in Britain, and who knows how long it will take him to cover more territory than that."

He took a few swallows of chocolate and stared hard and deep into the fire. Doing so reminded him painfully of Sirius and the night his face had appeared in the Common Room fire. It also reminded him of how Lupin had walked through the flames at Snape's command. He wondered if Lupin would be comfortable talking to him about his situation. He was the closest thing Harry had to a father figure anymore. As soon as this thought entered his mind, he realized who he shold talk to, and he nearly slopped chocolate all down his front in his haste to leave the Room of Requirement.

"Thank you!" he called out into the empty space as he closed the door behind him.

As an afterthought halfway down the hallway, Harry threw his cloak on and activated the map. It was a good thing he did so, because he nearly turned a corner straight into Mrs. Norris's path. When he was safely away from anyone else, Harry began looking for his mother on the map. He found her in her dungeon office, accompanied by a little dot labeled 'Remus Lupin.'

"Good." Harry thought, "maybe they can both help me with this."

"Mischief managed." he whispered, clearing the map. He stowed the map in his pocket and headed down the hall. Very slowly, avoiding teachers and any other nighttime hallway activity at all costs, Harry made his way to the dungeons. When he got to Lily's office door, he stopped and raised his hand to knock. Before he could though, his hand froze in midair. A thought had just entered his mind; his mother was a Hogwarts professor now. What would she think about him being out of bed after hours? He was also concerned about what Remus Lupin might be doing in his mother's office at this time of night. The two had been looking at each other oddly for weeks. Maybe… Harry pushed the thought from his mind and raised his hand to knock again. This time, he had only a split second to move out of the way before the door opened from the inside. Remus Lupin emerged, Lily's hand in his. Harry watched closely, his mouth gaping in awe.

"Thank you for coming." Lily whispered, a mischievous smile on her face.

"Thank you for inviting me." Remus returned, truly grateful that Lily had taken the initiative, since he obviously hadn't had the courage to do so himself. Leaning in, he kissed her softly on the lips before letting go of her hand and walking up the hall.

Biting her lower lip to keep from giggling, Lily watched until Remus was out of sight around a corner. Very slowly, she closed the door and went back into her office to get ready for bed.

Harry couldn't believe what he'd just seen. Harry had always known Lupin to speak of Lily with a certain fondness, but he'd had no idea that his fondness was actually founded on real feelings. Very slowly, he snapped out of his daze and knocked on his mother's door. For a few seconds, he heard no movement, then Lily whispered;

"Remus, I thought you were going to bed?"

"I-it's Harry." he stuttered, removing the cloak.

Slowly, the door opened.

"Come on in, Harry dear." Lily said, waving him inside.

Harry stuffed the cloak in his pocket hastily and did as he was told.

Lily flicked her wand and the empty hot chocolate mugs disappeared, only to be replaced by two bottles of butterbeer. Handing one to Harry, she took a seat in one of the armchairs, and indicated that Harry should take a seat in the other.

"What's wrong Harry, dear? You look upset." she asked, noting his troubled expression.

Harry took a deep breath. He knew it was a bad idea to talk to her about this, because all it could do was cause her pain, but as he took a sip of his butterbeer, all of a sudden , it was like a sixteen year floodgate was opened, and his troubles just started pouring out of him.

"Do you remember the night Dumbledore came to see us through that old portrait?" Harry asked.

Lily's heart sank. _Harry knew what had happened with Remus… "Wonderful" _she thought _"I finally get to see my son, and I'm screwing up already."_

"Yes dear, I remember. Why do you ask?"

"Well," Harry continued, "after everyone had gone to bed, he came to see me through a different portrait in Ron's bedroom. He basically told me that I have a very important decision to make, one that pretty much effects the entire world. The problem is, I'm only seventeen! I don't think I'm ready to make a decision like that."

Lily took a deep breath. "Does this decision have anything to do with the Prophecy?"

Harry gulped his butterbeer and sat bolt upright in his seat, sputtering all over himself.

"Yes." he managed to cough out.

Lily took a moment before continuing. "When Dumbledore received that Prophecy from Professor Trelawwny, I think he knew deep down inside that he wasn't going to be able to protect you forever. No one can stop the future from happening, but we can do our best to delay it."

Harry remained stunned.

"Harry, everyone has done their best to get you this far. I know that doesn't make you ready to risk your life yet again, but it should let you know that you don't have to do anything alone."

"Yeah, but this is a really big decision. I can't risk anyone else's life. It's bad enough I have to risk my own."

"Life is full of difficult decisions; some more difficult than others. Your father and I both knew that Voldemort would be after you, so we did everything we could to protect you. We wanted so much for you to have a normal life. We lived in a normal neighborhood, held normal jobs, and did everything we could to be the best parents we could be." Lily paused. "When the Prophecy was made, everything went wrong. We all agreed that it would be best to go into hiding. Dumbledore used the most powerful magic he could think of to keep us all safe, and yet Voldemort still came. No matter what anyone did, we couldn't keep you safe. So far in your life, the best caretaker you've ever had has been you." she paused again. "But now I understand: it's your destiny to face Voldemort. No matter what anyone does or says, that fact will never change. You're never going to be ready to make this decision; when it's time, you'll just make it." Lily ran her hands over her face and realized that she had tears running down her cheeks. She looked up at Harry and realized that he'd been crying as well; fresh tears emerged from underneath his glasses.

"You're trying to tell me I'm going to lose you for good this time, aren't you?" she choked out.

Harry nodded solemnly and began to explain everything to her, from the night he smashed the Prophecy, all the way up to exactly what Dumbledore had told him that night over a month previous. When he was finished, Lily walked over and wrapped her arms around him.

"Oh my son." she said, holding him close, "If I had only known things were going to turn out this way. I'd have worked so much harder to stop it."

"Sometimes we have to follow the paths set before us, even if we don't always want to." Harry finally realized. "After all, nothing worth doing is ever easy."

Harry wanted to say something, but he wasn't sure how. He must have tensed up, because Lily let go of him and looked at him in a way that seemed to ask "What's wrong?"

"Do you and Professor Lupin have feelings for each other?"

By way of answer, Lily stood up and returned to her own seat, taking a deep breath before speaking.

"What makes you think that?" she asked almost nervously.

"I was standing outside the door in Dad's Invisibility Cloak when he left."

Lily wasn't sure where to begin. "I'm sure you've heard that when your father and I were in school, we couldn't stand each other. Whenever he would do something stupid, I'd go running to Remus for comfort; even after James and I were married. James drove him just as crazy as he drove me sometimes. Half the time, Remus was the first to tell your father that he was being an idiot. In fact, I fully expected Remus to ask me out long before James ever did, but he was terrified of losing his best friend." she paused.

"One day after graduation, James showed up on my front door alone. I swear to God I'd never seen him go anywhere without Sirius in tow. He apologized for everything bad he'd ever done and begged me to forgive him. He told me that even if I didn't want to date him, at least have dinner with him once so he could keep his sanity. After one dinner, I just couldn't get enough. We were married not long after that, and Remus stood at the altar the whole time, never saying a word."

"Do you love him?" Harry asked slowly.

Lily sighed. "Remus? I'm not sure anymore. This past month has been like reliving our childhood with him. Whenever we're together, it makes me feel like your father is still here somewhere."

She was no longer looking at Harry, but gazing deep into the fire instead.

"It's ok if you do, you know. He's a really nice guy. I like him a lot. Until Sirius came along, he was the only adult I could really talk to - besides Dumbledore. I could always tell he liked you. Whenever he talked about you, his eyes would sparkle, and he'd get this sad look on his face."

Lily smiled, but it was so sad that it almost made Harry's heart break to see it.

"I'd better get back to the Common Room." he said, realizing how late it must be, "I'd hate to fall asleep in McGonagall's class."

He stood up and headed for the door. Lily didn't move.

"Good night mom."

"Good night, Harry." she called from her seat. "I love you."

"I love you too."


	11. Chapter 11: Preperations

Chapter 11: Preparations

The next morning, Harry woke up, put on his glasses, and rolled over to find himself in an empty room. Normally, Ron would still be snoring, and Harry would have to wake him up. He got up to put on his robes, and noticed that Ron's blankets hadn't been disturbed.

"I wonder where he could be…" Harry wondered, furrowing his eyebrows.

He walked down to the common room to see if Hermione had seen him. As he looked among all the heads bobbing around though, he realized that she wasn't there. Her usual chair by the fire was now occupied by a first year. Wondering what could possibly have happened to his two best friends, Harry walked down to breakfast alone.

As Harry entered the Great Hall, he glanced up at the staff table and saw that Lupin was eating breakfast alone - Lily was nowhere to be seen. Harry walked over to the Gryffindor table, realizing that for the first time, Draco Malfoy and his cronies weren't jeering at him, in fact, none of the Slytherins were. He looked over at their table, and at the same time, they all looked down at their plates. He continued to his own table. He saw Ron and Hermione huddled together, and when he took a seat next to Ron, he realized that they had been whispering, and he somehow got the feeling that for once, they weren't whispering about him.

"Good morning Ron, Hermione." he said, cocking an eyebrow in their direction. He picked up a piece of toast and began slathering it with jam.

"Good morning Harry." they said simultaneously.

"Getting an early start on the day, I see." Harry smirked.

Ron and Hermione blushed.

"We saw you sneak out of the portrait hole last night. Where were you going?" Hermione asked, stirring honey into her morning tea, and trying valiantly to change the subject.

"I went to see McGonagall, but I couldn't get in." he paused, wondering if he should tell them the rest. Hermione, sensing that he wasn't finished, piped up.

"What is it, Harry?"

Harry recounted the events of the evening.

"Lupin?" Hermione said incredulously, looking up at the staff table. The aforementioned professor had his head bowed over a bowl of oatmeal.

"And your mom?" Ron said around a mouthful of steak and kidney pie.

"Yeah." Harry said softly. "But it's ok. I mean, she's going to need someone to take care of her when I'm gone, and who better than Lupin? I mean, they obviously like each other, and they trust each other. I think I'd rather she be with him than anyone else."

Ron and Hermione were silent. They really had no idea what to say to Harry's comment.

"Have you guys seen Neville anywhere?" Harry asked suddenly, setting down his fork and remembering his conversation with Dumbledore.

"I think I saw him heading towards the library." Hermione said, snapping out of her silence.

"Ok," Harry said, picking up a piece of toast and rising from his seat. "Thanks Hermione." he said, walking 

out of the Great Hall and heading for the library.

"Is it just me, or has Harry been acting strangely lately?" Ron said quizzically, looking at Hermione.

"He sure has. I wonder what's the matter with him? Where's he going all the time? And what does he want with Neville? It doesn't make any sense!" Hermione pounded the table, spilling her pumpkin juice on the tablecloth.

"Maybe we should follow him and find out." Ron shrugged.

"Ronald! We can't spy on our own friend!"

"Then how else are we going to find out what's wrong with him?" Ron mumbled through his eggs.

Hermione went back to stirring her tea.

"Unless we talk to his mom." Ron piped up.

"That's a brilliant idea, Ronald! I wonder why I didn't think of it in the first place?!" Hermione jumped up off her seat, wrapped her arms around Ron's neck, kissed him on the cheek, and headed off in the direction of the dungeons.

Ron touched his cheek softly, got up, and followed Hermione; his face turning as red as his hair.

While the happy couple was headed toward the dungeons, Harry made his way to the library.

"May I help you?" demanded Madame Pince as he walked through the door.

Harry was taken aback. "I'm looking for Neville Longbottom." he finally managed to say.

Madame Pince sighed. "He's in the Herbology section." she said as she traipsed back towards her desk.

Harry took off in the direction of the Herbology section as fast as his legs would carry him. He found Neville deeply immersed in _A Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi. _

"Hello, Neville." Harry greeted him.

Neville's head shot up as if Snape had just screamed at him.

"Oh, hullo Harry, it's just you." he said, breathing a sigh of relief.

Harry nodded, trying not to laugh. "I was wondering if I might be able to talk to you about something." Harry said in a very businesslike tone, taking a seat next to Neville.

Neville reluctantly closed his book and tried his best to give Harry his full attention.

"This past summer, Dumbledore paid me a visit through an old portrait. He seemed to think it would be an extremely good idea for me to continue teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts in the Room of Requirement. What do you think?"

Neville looked baffled at actually being asked seriously for his opinion about something.

"I-I had fun the last time; especially with the patronuses." Neville replied slowly, afraid this was some cruel joke.

Harry nodded, remembering. "Would you like to start practicing again?"

"Sure Harry! I'd love to! Can't be too careful these days."

"Good." Harry said. "Meet me outside the Room of Requirement after dinner."

After his conversation with Neville, Harry ran as fast as he could back to Gryffindor Tower, grabbed his wand and his schoolbag, and ran as fast as he could to Transfiguration. Just as he was walking in the door, the bell rang. He half expected Professor McGonagall to give him detention for a week. However, as he looked up from his seat next to Ron, he saw that it wasn't Professor McGonagall standing at the front of the room.

"Ron," he said, turning in his best friend's direction, "who is that?"

Ron looked up at him quizzically. "That's the new Transfiguration teacher, Professor Faravis. Bloody hell, you didn't actually expect McGonagall to keep teaching us on top of everything else she has to do?"

"Why didn't she introduce him at dinner?"

This time it was Hermione who spoke up. "She did introduce him; right before she introduced Lupin. You didn't hear her?"

"I guess not." Harry said, looking the new teacher over from head to foot; he looked trustworthy enough: tall and skinny with sandy brown hair and soft brown eyes. He looked to be in his early to mid twenties.

Ron and Hermione exchanged glances. "Harry, Ron and I are worried about you." Hermione said sheepishly. "You haven't been acting like yourself lately." She didn't add that she and Ron had spoken to Lily, even though Lily hadn't told them very much.

"What are you talking about?" Harry replied distractedly, shrugging his shoulders, "I'm acting just fine."

Hermione didn't have a chance to argue, however, because at that moment, Professor Faravis decided to start class.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he announced in a soft baritone voice, not unlike that of Remus Lupin, "I understand that there is a war going on outside, and that most if not all of you would rather be at home curled up in a little ball hiding away from it. However, I assure you that even without the physical presence of Albus Dumbledore, this school is the safest place any of you could ever hope to be."

Harry didn't hear much of the rest of the professor's speech, though, because he was too busy writing down what he planned to teach Neville that night.

After class, Harry headed to the Room of Requirement while Ron and Hermione headed off to their next classes.

"_I need somewhere to practice Defense Against the Dark Arts_." Harry recited in his mind as he walked back and forth in front of the tapestry.

When he stopped and opened his eyes there was a solid oak door with a brass doorknob where the stretch of bare wall had been seconds before.

He went in and was surprised to see that the room looked exactly as it had two years previous when the DA had made frequent visits to it. There were stacks of pillows in the corners, and shelves with various instruments set upon them.

"_At least some things haven't changed." _Harry thought. _"Now what should I teach Neville?"_

Harry had no idea where to begin. He knew he needed to prepare Neville to face Lord Voldemort, but how do you prepare someone for the ultimate enemy? Harry felt like beating his head against the wall. He still hadn't even told Neville why he wanted to practice Defense Against the Dark Arts with him. How would he react? He decided that first he needed to give Neville instructions on how to get into the Room of Requirement. He pulled a slip of parchment out of his bag and began to write.

Neville,

Don't forget to meet me after dinner.

Come alone. The password to get in

is "I need somewhere to practice

Defense Against the Dark Arts."

see you after dinner.

Harry.

P.S. Destroy this letter as soon as

you've memorized the password.

Harry replaced his quill and inkwell into his bag and left the room. He watched as the door dissolved back into the wall, then headed down to dinner. He spotted Ron and Hermione sitting next to each other, whispering again, and he walked right past them. It hurt that he couldn't talk to them anymore, but it was for their own good. At least so he thought. He walked up to Neville, set the note beside his plate, then walked away, not noticing the puzzled look that Neville and his friends were giving him.

He found a seat that had been left empty and sat down. He didn't really feel hungry, but one look at all of his favorite foods made his appetite voracious. When his plate wan empty, he drained the last of his pumpkin juice, grabbed some cookies and doughnuts from a nearby tray, wrapped them in a napkin, and headed for Gryffindor Tower. When he reached the boys' dormitory, he dropped his school bag on the foot of his bed, opened up his trunk, pulled out his invisibility cloak and the Marauder's Map, and closed his trunk. He pointed his wand at the Marauder's map and muttered "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." The map snaked its way to life, and Harry scanned it for any sign of Neville.

Instead of finding Neville, he spotted Ron and Hermione walking hand in hand toward the Head Girl's room where Hermione slept. Harry didn't even want to know why they were headed there. He was half tempted to look for his mother or Professor Lupin, but he realized that he probably didn't want to know what they were up to anyway. With a pang of guilt, he realized that Ginny was probably off somewhere with a boyfriend of her own also.

"Mischief managed." He muttered, and shoved the map and his wand back into his pocket. Snatching up his invisibility cloak, he started down the stairs at a run, shoving the cloak in another of his pockets as he ran. He shoved the portrait hole open ("I beg your pardon!") and bolted in the direction of the Room of Requirement. He arrived out of breath and panting. He reached into his pocket, pulled out his invisibility cloak, and threw it over himself. When he was sure he was completely out of sight of anything (he'd grown two more inches over the summer, and was almost taller than Ron,) he pulled out the Marauder's Map and repeated his earlier command. He noted that dinner was letting out, which reminded him of the snacks he'd brought along with him. He munched in silence as he watched the little dot labeled "Neville Longbottom" move firstly to Gryffindor Tower, then towards Harry's current location. Harry wiped his hands and face on his napkin, brushed the crumbs off the front of his robes, and when he was sure no one but Neville was headed in his direction, he cleared the map. He pulled the invisibility cloak off just as Neville was turning the corner.

"Hello Neville."

"Hiya Harry. Why did you ask me to come alone?"

Harry paused. "_Here we go…_" he thought.

"Um, could we go inside first, Neville? I don't want anybody to find us."

"Sure Harry." Neville replied nervously.

The two walked back and forth in front of the door, reciting the password in their minds. When they opened their eyes, the oak door with the brass handle was back.

The two took a deep breath and walked back inside.

"So what's up Harry?" Neville asked, getting more confused and nervous every second.

He motioned for Neville to sit down, and then joined him. With a sigh, Harry began to speak.

"What I'm about to tell you may make your hair curl and your blood boil, but you have to believe me no matter what, ok?"

Neville nodded, looking frightened.

Harry then proceeded to explain to Neville about the trips he had taken with Dumbledore the previous year, and where he and Dumbledore had been right before Snape killed Dumbledore.

Neville listened intently, shivering when Harry described the events that had transpired on the tower. Harry had to ball his hands into fists when he described the way Albus Dumbledore died. He could remember every moment in vivid detail. When he got to the point where Hagrid discovered Dumbledore's body, he had to stop.

"Harry," Neville blubbered, now starting to cry himself, "what does any of that have to do with me?"

Harry sighed and wiped his eyes on the sleeve of his robes.

"Dumbledore visited me through a painting at the burrow this past summer. He told me that I was the final horcrux, and that in order to defeat the Dark Lord, I must be killed."

Neville looked like he'd just been petrified.

"B-but Harry, if he kills you, who will kill him?"

Harry smiled grimly. "Why do you think I asked you to come here?"

Neville's reaction was much like what Harry had thought it would be. Neville panicked and leaped up off the floor, crashing into the wall.

"Harry, you've gone mental! I can't kill anyone! Least of all you-know-who!"

Harry shook his head in disbelief. "You have to, Neville," he said unfalteringly. "It's the only way. If you don't kill him, then he'll kill everyone else. Do you really want to give him that satisfaction?"

"But Harry…" Neville pleaded.

The two sat in silence. Harry's mind wandered to his mother and Remus Lupin. He had meant what he'd said about them – they would need each other when he was gone. He also thought about Ron and Hermione, and how their relationship had grown closer over the years.

"Neville, nothing worth doing is ever easy to do. That's something I've learned over the years. Think about all of our friends and family members. Could you live with yourself knowing that because of you, Voldemort could show up at any moment?" Harry pressed.

Neville shook his head. "I'm sorry, Harry. You've really picked the wrong man for the job." He headed for the door.

"Neville, what would your parents want you to do?" Harry asked quietly.

Neville stopped in his tracks.

"Do you mean to tell me that they'd want you to stand idly by and watch as your friends met the same fate as they did? You know Voldemort will do it."

Neville turned back to face Harry. "Why on Earth would you pick me for this, Harry? Isn't there anyone else? Anyone else at all?"

Harry shook his head. "I didn't pick you Neville. In fact, I was just as skeptical as you are when I realized it." He proceeded to explain the prophecy. "Not only does the prophecy speak of me, it speaks of you too. You were born the day before me, and your parents were defeated three times by Voldemort. It's your destiny, Neville. Just take all your anger and hatred and let it guide you. I know that's usually bad advice, but in your case, it might just work."

Neville chuckled a little despite the circumstances. "How are we ever going to live without you, Harry?" Neville swallowed hard.

Harry didn't seem to have heard him. He was too busy reading through his Defense Against the Dark Arts notes. "Now I'm going to have to talk to Professor D-McGonagall before we can practice the unforgiveable curses, but I think we should be able to practice defensive spells without too much trouble." He found the page he was looking for and turned to face Neville. "Are you ready?"


End file.
